I have seen plenty of design principles that sound good and disappear. They are too broad to challenge a decision, so teams nod at them and keep moving.

The principles I trust are more specific. They create tension. They help the team choose between two reasonable options.

If a principle cannot be used in critique, planning, or tradeoff conversations, I rewrite it. The wording should make the desired behavior easier to recognize.

A useful principle is not a poster. It is a small decision tool the team can reach for when the product gets complicated.